Plymouth Twp. resident will cycle 35 hours in honor of late stepson

"This has been so important for my wife Donna and me in our grieving process. We said we wanted to do something to honor his memory and we had the choice to withdraw or try to make his name go on. In this way we keep his memory alive so much. He was a really special person," said Zbiek.

Brandon passed away in 1999 when he was just 21 years old. The King's College student, a history major, was a bright and healthy young man when he was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. After a round of chemotherapy, Brandon went into remission.

That relief was short lived.

At first believing he was having a recurrence of the lymphoma cancer, doctors soon found Brandon had leukemia probably contracted from the very thing that saved his life the first time - chemotherapy.

"Even when he was facing some very insurmountable odds he still joked about it and had a sense of humor. While people were hurting all around him, he was the one who kept everybody's spirits up," said Zbiek.

In 2002, on a suggestion by Mark Farrell, former owner of Sickler's Bike Shop in Wilkes-Barre, Zbiek began training for his first long distance cycling event to remember and honor Brandon.

The King's College history and geography professor trains about 20 hours per week with his longest rides lasting six to eight hours.

"You really can't specifically train for something like this physically and put in

that many hours because it takes a few weeks to recover," he said.

Proceeds from Spin4Life are evenly split between Candy's Place and the Brandon Case Memorial Fund. The memorial fund is used for cancer related charities in northeast and central Pennsylvania.

Candy's Place is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 by Peggy Vincent Cunningham in memory of her sister, Candace Vincent-Mamary, who passed away from lung cancer in 1997. The facility boasts a wide array of programs, support groups and materials for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.

"A lot of people don't realize what Candy's Place is all about," said facility director Chris Ostroski.

"They know the name, but they aren't sure what we do."

Candy's Place provides exercise classes, reflexology, oncology massages as well as wigs, scarves and hats completely free of charge for those fighting cancer. The free services are available for cancer patients for one year after their last treatment.

But Candy's Place programs are not limited to those dealing with cancer. The general public is invited to visit as well.

"For a nominal fee, the general public can come in and take a class," said Ostroski.

Candy's Place relies on grants and fundraisers to operate. The organization receives no local, state or federal monies. Instead, they rely on the community and grants to support their cause.

Ostroski, herself a survivor of breast cancer, knows how important it is to have a community to embrace you during the tough moments after a cancer diagnosis.

"We have people who come in and say, '"I have to be around other people who have walked the walk and I know who are doing well," said Ostroski.

When Zbiek finishes his 35 hour cycling stint on Feb. 22, he will be joined by others who have been touched in some way by cancer. Many of those who sign up for the event cycle in memory of a loved one, as an affirmation of success in beating cancer or as a show of support for cancer patients.

"In the last hours, it's really great motivation to keep going," said Zbiek.

People interested in participating in Spin4Life can still sign up by calling Candy's Place or registering on their website http://cancerwellnessnepa.org/. For $20, participants receive a T-shirt and 45 minutes of spinning. Classes begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. with each beginning at the top of every hour. Refreshments and mini massages will be available as well.

When asked to describe his stepson Brandon, whom he helped raise since the age of 8, Zbiek becomes quiet, thoughtful. A wistful smile spreads across his face.

"One thing I always remember was when he was in my class. He did his sophomore research project on the interstate highway system in Pennsylvania and how it affected communities and that's the type of research I do. The fact that he was going into the same kind of research and interests that I had really made me feel so great," said Zbiek.

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